Propeller shafts of this type for motor vehicles are sufficiently known from the state of the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,255 shows a propeller shaft with two shaft portions which are connected to one another by a constant velocity joint, with an intermediate bearing being arranged so as to adjoin the constant velocity joint. The constant velocity joint comprises an outer joint part with outer ball tracks, an inner joint part with inner ball tracks, torque transmitting balls guided in a pair of opposed outer ball tracks and inner ball tracks, as well as a ball cage holding the balls. The outer joint part is firmly connected to a shaft tube of the one shaft portion, and the inner joint part is firmly connected to a journal adjoining the other shaft portion. The diameter dimensions of the two shaft portions and of the constant velocity joint have been selected to be such that, in the event of a crash, when an axial load is exceeded, the constant velocity joint and shaft fail in a controlled manner. That is, after the constant velocity joint fails, it is possible for the two shaft portions to move into one another in a telescopic and substantially force-free way if the maximum permissible displacement path of the constant velocity joint in the axial direction is exceeded.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,546, there is known a propeller shaft of a similar type for motor vehicles which comprises a cage-less joint with axis-parallel ball grooves. The cage-less joint is suitable only for extremely small articulation angles in operation. With this design, a further insertion of the one shaft portion beyond the design-related standard displacement path is possible only if the outer joint part is dismantled and if the adjoining second shaft portion is deformed.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a multi-part propeller shaft having improved crash worthiness.